Needs + challenges
Harvest Moon is one of Australia’s leading fresh produce companies, producing over 90,000 tonnes of vegetables annually from its operations in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. To sustain their success and bring innovative products like their Snackables® Carrots to market, the company needed to undertake a significant expansion of their Forth Farm headquarters in Tasmania’s fertile northwest.
The project involved building four state-of-the-art facilities equipped to enhance processing, storage, and logistics in an ambitious 12-month timeframe. With a shared commitment to quality, efficiency and innovation, Harvest Moon partnered with Bison Constructions to deliver a transformative solution – ensuring their produce reaches customers faster, fresher and more efficiently than ever before.
Success made simple
Bison Constructions managed the project from concept to completion, delivering a quality solution that showcased our expertise across project management, structural design, steel manufacturing, and construction.
Processing Facility
The 1,800m² processing facility supported Harvest Moon to upscale processing and distribution of its innovative Snackables® Carrots line. It incorporates:
- A 1,150m² cool room for large-scale storage.
- A 4m-deep concrete washing pit for carrot processing.
- A sloped floor with central drainage for streamlined cleaning.
- An automated self-levelling loading dock with a Tre Trite inflatable seal for temperature-controlled loading, ensuring seamless transfer of produce from the facility to refrigerated trucks.
Cool Store
Designed for onion storage, the 1,000m² cool store features:
- Two 500m² rooms tailored for stacking one-tonne bins.
- Bison-designed roof trusses to support insulated ceiling panels and refrigeration units, ensuring structural durability and optimal temperature control.
Custom-designed ceiling access systems, including ladders and landings, for safe maintenance were also delivered for both the Processing Facility’s cool room and the stand-alone Cool Store.
Workshop
The 800m² workshop enhances Harvest Moon’s capacity for machinery servicing and repairs. Key features include:
- A 240m² undercover cantilevered canopy for weatherproof operations.
- A 100m² mezzanine floor for office and storage, complete with stair access and handrails.
- A central gantry crane beam for efficient hoisting during equipment maintenance.
Unloading Cover
The 450m² unloading cover enables all-weather loading and unloading, minimising downtime for Harvest Moon’s year-round operations.
Bison’s signature project methodology and time-saving construction methods accelerated the build.
- Prefabrication of trusses and columns:Assembled on-site and lifted into place, reducing risks associated with working at heights.
- Innovative truss design: Engineered to support the additional weight of refrigeration units and insulated panels.
- Weather mitigation: Concrete works were carefully scheduled and managed during the winter months to maintain momentum and deliver on time.
Our ability to coordinate seamlessly with other trades ensured the project remained on schedule despite its complexity.
